8 Things That Happen When You Stop Eating Bread

The low-carb craze is going strong. Bread is out. Pasta is
overrated. And dieters are experimenting with how low their carb intake
can go. But grains are anything but all the same. So whether you are
cutting out refined grains, whole grains, or carbs in general, the
effects can vary widely.

Here’s a look at the wide array of things that
happen when you ditch the bread bags:

When
you reduce your carb intake, the first thing you notice is how quickly,
even magically, the weight falls off. But it’s not fat you’re losing.
It’s water. “When carbs are stored in the body in the form of glycogen,
each gram of carbohydrate stores three to four times its weight in
water," says dietitian and strength coach Marie Spano, R.D., C.S.C.S. So as soon as you cut carbs and start using your glycogen stores, you’ll lose a good amount of water weight.

"Carbs
are the brain’s main source of energy," says Spano. "When a person cuts
down on carbs, the brain is running on fumes, especially as glycogen
stores get low and become depleted." Eventually, once all that glycogen
is gone, your body breaks down fat and runs off of little carbon
fragments called ketones. The result: bad breath, dry mouth, tiredness,
weakness, dizziness, insomnia, nausea, and brain fog. Basically, you
feel like you have the flu. Eventually, your body adapts to running on
ketones so you don’t feel so bad, but they are still aren’t your body’s
preferred fuel source, says Spano.

Refined
carbohydrates are infamous for sending your blood-sugar levels through
the roof, only for them to crash back down again. And recent research
published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests
that the rollercoaster ride activates addiction centers in the brain,
leading to subsequent cravings. Opting for fiber-rich whole grains,
though, can keep blood-sugar levels from plummeting to prevent cravings,
says nutritionist Alex Caspero, R.D., owner of Delicious Knowledge.

The type of grains you cut makes a big difference here. For instance, a 2014 study published in PLOS ONE found
that refined carbohydrates drive up the body’s levels of a fatty acid
(called palmitoleic acid) to raise the risk of heart disease and type 2
diabetes.

Meanwhile, according to the American Heart Association, whole
grains can improve blood-cholesterol levels and lower risk of heart
disease, stroke, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. The choice is clear.

Whole
grains are a great source of iron, magnesium, and B vitamins, all of
which are critical in maintaining energy levels, says Spano, who notes
that many people are already deficient in magnesium. Plus, since carbs
are your body’s preferred fuel source, all of your cells slow down
without a healthy supply, says Caspero.

Whole-grain intake is a major player in how much fiber you get, according to a recent Nutrition Research study
that found that 92 percent of U.S. adults don’t get enough of the
grains. Fiber, the indigestible part of plants, like grains, not only
helps stabilize blood-sugar levels, reduce the risk of obesity, and
chronic diseases, but keeps your bathroom habits regular, says Spano.

And
not just because you’re eating all of your sandwiches as lettuce wraps.
Carbs—whether they are whole or refined—increase the brain’s levels of
the feel-good neurotransmitter serotonin, says Caspero. So when you cut
healthy carbs like whole grains, your mental health goes right along
with it.

"Carbohydrates
are the body’s primary source of energy for fueling all exercise,
including both endurance and resistance training," says Spano. "Cut
carbs, and your energy will drop. Decrease your levels of your body’s
stored carbohydrates, and your ability to produce force and power will
decrease." And the suckier your workouts, the suckier your results.